Apparatus for producing combustible gas



A ril 22, 1969 E. LAGUINIA APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COMBUSTIBLE GAS Filed Dec. 8, 1966 FIG INVENTOR.

ENP/OUE' L1 LAGUIN/A PRESSURE SOURC 3,439,998 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 39 998 APPARATUS FOR PliOGligClNG COMBUSTIBLE Enrique L. Laguinia, 910-J. Blumentrit St., Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines D-403 Filed Dec. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 601,294 Int. Cl. F23d 15/00 US. Cl. 431-353 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for deriving a combustible gas mixture from liquid fuel, using a porous ceramic core in the fuel tank, with pressurized air fed to a pipe downstream of the core.

My invention relates to apparatus for deriving combustible gas from a liquid fuel such as gasolene.

It is an object of my invention to provide new and improved apparatus for extracting or deriving a combustible gas from liquid fuel such as gasolene through the use of a direct flame.

Another object is to provide new and improved apparatus of the character indicated which can be manufactured easily and inexpensively.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of my invention will now be explained with reference both to this specification and to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side partially cut away view of one form of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a detail view of a substitute part for a corresponding part shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing another type of substitute part;

FIG. 4 is a detail view, in side cross section, of a modified form of my invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating the operation of the apparatus shown therein; and

FIG. 6 is a side view of a further modification of my invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 5, there is shown a fuel tank 10 having liquid fuel such as gasolene 12 therein. A hollow vertical cylinder 14 sealed at its bottom end 18 is inserted through an aperature in the top of the tank deeply into the interior thereof and is sealed to the aperture. Cylinder 14 has a hole 16 in the side thereof adjacent the bottom end and below the fuel line. Cylinder 14 contains a porous ceramic cylindrical core 20. A vertical hollow air cylinder or pipe 22 having a diameter smaller than core has its bottom open end resting on the top end of the core 20 and centered thereon. Pressure contact between these contacting ends is maintained by the tension spring 24 disposed between end 18 and the bottom end of core 20. The bottom portion of pipe 22 adjacent its bottom end carries a plurality of spaced apart parallel vertical slots 26. An additional hollow vertical cylinder 28 having a bottom open end rests on the top open end of cylinder 14 and has a sealed top end with an aperture 30' through which pipe 22 extends. Cylinder 28, which is disposed circumferentially about pipe 22 but has a larger diameter also has a plurality of spaced apart parallel vertical slots 32. A loop handle 34 secured to cylinder 28 permits same to be lifted up and down.

A hollow pipe 36 extends through an opening 38 in the side of pipe 22 into the interior thereof and has an upper opening 40 disposed within pipe 22. Pressurized air is fed through valve 42 into pipe 36 and through opening 40 into the interior of pipe 22. Pipe 22 above pipe 36 has a horizontal slot 44, the opening of which is controlled in area by rotation of ring 46 disposed circum ferenti-ally thereabout, ring 46 having a vertically varying contour whereby more or less area of slot 44 can be varied. A burner cup 48 having side openings 50 is detachably secured to the top end of pipe 22. A bracket 54 supports pipe 36 above the tank.

The operation is as follows. With cylinder 28 raised, the portion of the liquid fuel drawn up by capillary action to the top end of core 20 and located in the annular section of this top end between cylinder 28 and pipe 22 is ignited for example by a match to produce flame 56.

With valve 42 opened slightly, the air discharged through opening 40 and rushing upwards creates a partial vacuum which pulls air through slots 26 and 32. This air heated by direct and radiant heat entrains the liquid fuel at the portion of the surface of the top end of the core communicating with the interior of the bottom end of pipe 22 and vaporizes same to produce a combustible gas which passes upward through the pipe and is discharged through openings 50 in cup 48.

By rotating ring 46 and controlling the position of the valve 42, the ratio of fuel to air in the gas can be controlled as desired. Pipe 22 can be bent rather than straight as shown in FIG. 4, with pipe 36 entering via 'bend 60. The source of pressurized air, as shown in FIG. 6 could be a blower 62 operated by a motor 64 energized by dry cells 66.

Cup 48 can be replaced by a torch attachment as shown in FIG. 3 or by a downwardly bent open pipe 72 feeding a mesh envelope 74 as shown in FIG. 2 and the same results will ensue.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to the drawings, my protection is to be limited only by the terms of the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Apparatus for producing comprising (a) a tank containing liquid fuel;

(b) a hollow cylinder extending into said tank with an open end disposed outside and above the tank and a sealed end inserted in the tank below the fuel line, said cylinder adjacent the sealed end having a hole through which fuel passes therein;

(0) a porous cylindrical ceramic core disposed in said cylinder, the one end of the core being flush with the open end of the cylinder, the other end of the core being disposed adjacent but above the sealed end of the cylinder;

(d) a hollow air pipe having a diameter smaller than that of the core and open at both ends, one end of the pipe being centered on and resting on the said one end of the core; and

(e) means to introduce pressurized air into said pipe at a point intermediate its ends.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pipe combustible gas has an opening intermediate said means and the other end of said pipe and is further provided with a manually operable mechanism to vary the area of said opening.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including hollow cylindrical means concentrically disposed about the outer surface of the pipe and separated therefrom adjacent and in contact with the said open end of the cylinder, said hollow means having slots, the said one end of said pipe also having slots, both sets of slots providing an air passage.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means to introduce pressurized air includes another pipe extending into the hollow air pipe and a valve to control the flow of air through said another pipe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,348,422 5/1944 Schaefer 431353 X 2,530,716 1 11/1950 Meynier 261-99 X 2,732,192 1/1956 Johnson et a1 26l30 X 3,212,553 10/1965 Cathala 431351 X FOREIGN PATENTS 323,927 8/1920 Germany.

JOSEPH SCOVRONEK, Primary Examiner.

' US. Cl. X.R. 

